Improvement in apparatus for making ruffling



T. ROBJO HN. APPARATUS FOR MAKING RUFFLING.

No. 39,328. Patented July 21, 1863.

T I (J I N Q $5 a) Q j I H- s :Lw H k u b k &

UNITED STATES THOMASROBJQHN, on NEW PATENT. OFFICE.

YORK, N. Y'., ASSIGNOR T0 ujo'. WOOSTER,OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING RUFFLING.

Specifieationforming part of Letters Patent No. 39,328, dated July 2-1, 1863.

flo all whom it may concern:

of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same in the plane indicated by the line w w in Fig. 4. Fig.

- 6 is a vertical section of the sameiu the plane indicated by the line 3 y in Fig. 4.

Similar, letters of reference indicate corre; sponding' parts in the several figures.

The double rufflingor frilling which this machine is intended to make is composed of a single strip of muslin or other fabric, and fluted in such a manner as to present ruflies or frills a a at both edges, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but has the flutes folded and flattened along the center of the strip, as shown at b b in Figs. 1 and 3, in the form of plaitswhich are to be secured byone or more rows of stitchlug.

The invention consists in a novel system of fluting-rollers'and a folding device operating in combination therewith for producing the ruffles orfrills at; the edges of the strip and the plaits along the center thereof.

It also consists in the employment of a slarching apparatus applied in combination with the said tinting-rollers. and folding device to apply starch to one side of the central portion of the strip to enable the plaits to better retain their folded condition.

It also consists in certain means of delivering a thread toone surface of the .plaits in.

such a manner that it may be caused by the starch to adhere tothe plaits and hold them together until they can be secured by stitching; and it further consists in a certain mode of heating the fluting-rollers by a flame of gas.

To enable others skilled-in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A are two standards, united by cross-bars 13-13, to constitute the framing of the machine.

.O c are the shafts of the fluting-rollers D D."

d d, arranged. horizontally one above the other in suitable bearings in the standards A A. The roliers-two upon each shaft-are arranged outside of one of the standards A A, and arranged in pairs one above another, D d constituting one pair and D d the other, and the two pairsare arranged at a distance apart a little greater than thedesire'd width of the central flattened or plaited portion of the rutfling. The rollers are constructed substantially like ordinary tinting-rollers, and those of eachpair have their flitting-ridges rounded ofi'slightly at the ends next the other pair, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, to prevent them from cutting the fabric. Between the two lower rollers D D there is provided onthe shalt (J a concentric collar, 6, whichis otslightly larger diameter than a circle inscribing the bottoms of the flutes or grooves of the rollers, so that the upper part of the pcripheryot' the said collar comes slightly above' the bottoms of these groo'ves,.whicli are uppermost, to form a pressing surface upon which the flutes produced in the fabric by the tinting-rollers are folded down hythe folding-device or presser E, and flattened into plaits between the two pairs of rollers.

Between the two upper rollers d (1 there is formed a recess, f, deep enough for the presser E to work up and down into enable it to press? down separately the central portion of every flute that is formed by the tinting-rollers, and

convert it into a plait', b. This presser consists of a flat, point-ed metal finger, secured to a horizontal rock-shaft, F, which works in bearings in the standards A A behind the tintingrollers'. The upward movement of the presser is obtained froma'cam, P, on the constantlyrotating main shaftG ot' the machine, which acts upon an arm, F, on the rock-shaft F, and the downward movement to press down the central portions of the flutes. and convert them into plaits is produced by a spring, H, which is attached to the cross-piece B of the framing, and bears upon the arm F. The pressure thus produced upon the plaits, being of alyielding nature, does not injure the goods. The movements of the tinting-rollers are intermittent, and alternate with the mo ge nents of the pressaid tooth moving the wheel I to the extent of one tooth during every revolution of the main shaft. The. main shaft rotates at a yery high velocity.

J is a stationary guide, arranged in front of the tinting-rollers for conducting the strip of muslin or other material to the said rollers,

composed of a flattened horizontal tube of 1 metal, of a width just suiiicient for the strip to pass through it. The upper part of the said tube is slit, as shown at i Q in Fig. 4, to form a tougue,j, (shown in 'Figs. 4 and 5,) to press =np0n the upper part of the strip, and cause it to be presented in a flat and smooth condition to the fluting-rollers. In the top and bottom of this guide there are central openings, 7.: and l, for the entrance of therollers K and L, arranged above and below it, the lower roller K ta-king starch from a roller, M, which rotates in the starch-box N, and the upper one L holding the strip in contact with the lower one K and causing the starch to be applied all along the middle of its undersm'tiice as it passes through the guide on its way to the tinting-rollers. The roller K is supported in a rigid arm, K, secured to the cross-bar B, but the roller Lis supported by an elastic arm, L", which keeps it pressed down upon the strip and presses the strip against the starched surface of K. Bothot' these rollers derive motion from. the friction produced by the stripin passing between them. The roller M, which is supported in bearings in the sides ofthe s-tarchbox, derives rotary motion from the friction ofthe roller K, which works in contact with it. i

on is a thread-coeductor,consisting of a. tube secured to one of the standards A A, for the purpose of conducting a thread, n, (shown in blue color,) from'a spool, Q, under the guide J' to the surface of the collar 0 under the strip p, which is shown in red color in Fig. 5. This thread is kept out ot' contact with the strip untilit has been fluted, and meets it-at' the point where the flattening and conversion of the central. portions of the flutes into plaits takes place, and is caused by the action of the presser to adhere to the st'arohedsurfaces of the plaits. The thread thus adhering to the plaits serves to hold them together, andv keeps them in place until'they have been secured by stitching. The plaits will generally be secured by stitching them in-a sewing-machine in two parallel rows, which are dotted in Fig. 1.

. It is a flexible blade, with a thin end secured to the framing of the machine behind the lower fluting-rollers, and pressing upon the collar 0 between the lower rollers, for the purpose of detaching the fluted and plaited strip and the thread a from the surface'ot' -t he collar 0 in case of its having been stuck thereto by the'st'a'rch.

S".V aretwo rollers, by which the ruffling or 'frilling is taken from the flntting-rollers and delivered into asuitable receptacle as fast as it is made. The roller S is as wide as the whole width of the frilling, and secured upon a shaft, T, which is driven by'a belt,- p, from the rollenshaft- O. The roller V has a narrow face to press upon the central plaited or flat part ofthe frilljng, and is'held in contact therewith by means of a spring, 0-, which presses against a swingiiig frame, X, in which the said roller is arranged, and the said roller r0- tates by the friction of the frilling passing between, it and the roller S. The velocity of the periphery of the roller S is slightly greater than that of thcperiphery of the collar 2 between the rollers .l) 1), that it may produce aslight (lralt upon the trilling and so prevent it from being cockled up by the drying of the starch or by adhesion to the collar 0.

To provide-tor the heating of the flutingrollers by the flame of gas the roller-shafts are extended beyond the outer pair ot'rollers, D d, as shown alt/(3* c3, and made enter openingsin one side of a metal chimney, U, which is placed upon a gas-burner, W',arranged below the said extended portion of' the shafts. This.

burner ism'ade with .a. grate of wire-gauze 0r finely-perforated sheet metal to present a broad horizontal. sheet or bed of flame. The portions (fi 0 ot the shafts fit the openings in the chimney in such a manner as to prevent the smoking ot' the rollers, and the said portions becoming .hea ted impart a desirable degree of heat to the rollers.

NVhat [claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the two pairs of intermittently-rotating tinting-rollers D d and D d, and a presser,;-.E, applied and operating substantially as hereindescribed, in combination with said rollers, for the purpose herein set forth. I v

2. The employment, in combination with the guide J for conducting the strip of muslin or other fabric to the fluting-roller, of a starching-roller, K, and apressure-roller, L,-a'pplied ,and operating substantiallyas herein specified.

u. The employment of a. threadconductor,

1m, applied substautiallyas herein specified,

in combination with the-flu'ting-rollcrs .D It 1) d. and presser E, :t'or the purpose herein set forth.

4. The vcombination ot the gas'bnrner \V, chimney U, and extremities 0* 0*, of tinting roller shafts G c, substantially as shown and described.

- THUS. ROBJOHN. Witnesses:

M. S. PARTRIDGE, 1101:. H. SOULLER. 

